Dragons Back on Track With Win Over Northern State

Photo courtesy of Doug Havekost
Photo courtesy of Doug Havekost

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - After coming up short in consecutive games, Tiffin baseball defeated Northern State 7-2 on Saturday to improve to 8-2 on the season.

The 8-2 start to the year is the best in the Dragons' Division II history, and Tiffin has now won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to May 4 of last season.

While Tiffin's bats were clicking again, it was Michael Boswell's effort on the mound that was the key to the win in Tiffin's second-to-last game in Florida. Boswell tossed a gem, going eight innings and allowing just two runs on five hits with two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts. With the victory, Boswell, who missed all of last season with an injury, is already off to a 3-0 start to his redshirt-junior campaign.

Hunter Havekost had a great day at the plate for Tiffin, going 2-5 with three RBI. Kyle Vance had three hits and an RBI, while Zach Campbell picked up two more hits in three at-bats to raise his team-leading batting average to a scorching .563 on the season.

Both teams scored in the opening frame, starting with Campbell bringing home Vance on an RBI triple before Campbell scored on a Havekost single. Northern State picked up one run in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch.

Tiffin added to their lead with three runs in the third, as Havekost knocked a two-RBI single through the right side and was brought home on Colin Fowich's double to left.

NSU got one back in the bottom of the third, but Vance and Campbell each picked up RBIs in the fourth to build the Dragon advantage to 7-2, where it would remain for the rest of the game.

Max Dakin got the final three outs for Tiffin, working around a walk and striking out two.

The Dragons wrap up their Spring Break swing tomorrow morning with a contest against Wayne State College (Neb.).